I've had so many discoveries it's difficult to chose! I'd say the Tauer line and Ormonde Jayne are my main discoveries this year. Worst scent memory this Lush Breath of God, though they definitely get points for originality!

Let me think... I'll start with the worst experiences. First, I was hugely disappointed by Guerlain's Bouquet No. 2, I expected something and got plasticky flowers that left yet another impression of a wasted idea. And then, I got two cute and silly bags by Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. Then I saw some perfumes of this house, or, well, my mom saw them, went Oooooh, looky at the pink heart-shaped bottles and became all grabby hands because if the silly yet cute handbags are what they are, the scents needs to be silly and cute. I'm highly suspicious towards pink and heart-shaped bottles so I told her to try on a blotter first. Mom refused... and go figure. It was horrid shit even on the paper.

The best discoveries are multiple as well. Guerlain's Vere Novo was a pleasing experience indeed. And I had a year of iris, apparently, because I got a bottle of Iris Ukiyoe and I guess I could bathe in that stuff, and recently I scored a bottle of L'Artisan's Iris Pallida 2007 which has those somewhat odd butter and carrot undertones... Hey, does Andy do some iris? I could well imagine iris and incense.....

Bested Scented discovery (more like rediscovery) was Aftelier Tango and Fig..hmm- I don't really have a worst discovery- though I haven't really been enjoying chocolate/candy notes the past few months. even when it is nicely done like in Prada Candy. but that's just me.

I think the best perfume discovery of 2011 for me has been Lostmarc'h. They're very reasonably priced and unique in comparison to most of what's on the shelves in the drug store. My worst perfume experience of 2011 is probably some vintage Halston and White Shoulders. I just don't like them. I'd love to try some Andy Tauers. They sound beautiful.

My best scented discovery of 2011? Fragrances! Before last May, all I had was an old bottle of Burberry Woman that I hadn't worn in years. And now I have... a certain number (ha!) of bottles, decants, samples, wishlist items... So it's hard to answer with a single item! But I'll say Dzing!, just because I feel there was a before and an after it, it made me realize how much more there is to fragrances than what I could sniff at the drugstore!

best discovery of 2011 was probably a tie between tauer's lonestar memories and lutens' fleurs d'oranger. lonestar is an extremely comforting scent to me. and for some reason, fleurs is incredibly fresh and sensual at the same time. i adore it.

worst discovery of 2011 was definitely etat's jasmine and cigarettes. before that, i had never really had a "scrubber." but i dabbed that baby on and immediately went, "oh my god, oh my god, get it off me, get it off me!" and then i scrubbed and scrubbed and i could still smell it for the rest of the night. it was terrible. it did not smell like romantic tobacco, it smelled like the bottom of an ashtray on me. and it was NOT the jasmine -- i love alien, so i can definitely handle heavy jasmine.

My best perfume discovery of 2011 was Oud by the late and sorely missed Mona di Orio. What a tragedy she is gone! Her Nombres d"Or series is uniformly excellent and I think her Oud is just genius.

My worst perfume of the year was Lutens' Jeaux de Peau. Very sad because I know it can smell quite good on other people. But not on me. Something almost metallic comes out on my skin which makes the gourmand notes really unappetizing.

Among my best discoveries, and there were many, the ones that first spring to mind are; April Aromatics 'Unter den Linden' a truly beautiful linden fragrance, Guerlain Cologne du Parfumeur, which I only got to smell recently (so I'll include it in this year:-)) and the sadly departed exceptional Mona di Orio's collection of Nombre D'or especially Ambre and Vetiver. Disappointment? No 19 PoudreThank you for the Advent draw

My perfume "discovery" this year is Guerlain Nahema, which I have fallen in love with. I was disappointed in Prada's Infusion rose scent, but I haven't tried many new releases this year. Thanks to all for the draw!

My favorite discovery of 2011 is Eau d"Italie's Jardin du Poete. My worst isn't really that bad just that the vanilla just sticks to me and I'm obviously not a vanilla fan and that would be Cartier's Baiser Vole.

Sadly, I would say the worst was Shalimar. I was so looking forward to trying it, but 2 hours after spritzing, I was terribly sick to my stomach from the smell :(

The best scented discovery was probably just experimenting with all kinds of scents and figuring out what kinds of notes are "me". I've been rather polyamorous with my perfumes lately, trying anything that catches my eye, instead of sticking with my trusty Burberry London.

My best scent discovery this year was Creed Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie. I tried it a few years ago and didn't like it, but rediscovered it this year and fell in love!

My worst scent for the year was one I won in a draw (won't say which!) that had a top note that was a dead ringer for a spray my dad used to clean prep areas in a funeral home when I was a teenager. No lie. I had to scrub it off!

My best scent discovery this year were perfumes that had already been released, but I finally came to understand and love them: Carnal Flower, Amaranthine and Traversee du Bosphore.

I can't remember my worst discovery, I tend to put the, "Oh, no. That won't work," perfumes out of my mind right away. But I did buy a perfume that was a mistake, Tonkamande. It's just too sweet for me and every time I re-visit, it's confirmed.

I'm new to Perfume Shrine and I thank you one and all for your comments, negative and positive about my best find of the year. BANDIT. I know it's not new to all of you but it's new to me. It's banging on me, even my mom likes it (on me). She tried it and it smelled like sh_t. Smells different on different people, don't they all.My least favorite is Rance 2, smelled good on my sister but not on me and I really wanted it to smell good on me.

Now my new hunt is on for Jicky and a few others here on the site. Thank You people of the Perfume Shrine.

My best scented experience of 2011 was "getting" Shalimar. The vintage PdT taught me to enjoy and embrace the layers of smoke, vanilla, citrus, leather, jasmine, and incense and gave me a deep appreciation for Guerlain and modern perfumery.

My worst scented experience of 2011 was inadvertantly bringing up difficult memories for a dear friend when wearing Shalimar a few months after my "discovery," as it had been their departed mother's signature scent. Scent can invoke such strong recollection - a double-edged sword at times for perfume.

Thank you and Andy for the wonderful giveaway and wishing you both warm and happy days and thoughts!

My best discovery this year was Le Labo - I was surprised at how well many of the fragrances suit me. This was also my worst discovery! I had purposely avoided trying them before this year, because I don't like the concept (and price) of the City Exclusives.

My best discovery of the year was vintage Ubar, which a generous friend gave me a sample of. I now have a decant of this hard-to-find, discontinued gem, and unless a miracle happens, that will have to last me....

I would say my biggest disappointment was Serge Luten's Oeillet Sauvage, which I order blind, hoping for, well, a savage carnation. Although I don't hate it (I didn't feel like writing about fragrances that I actively dislike), I was very let down.

My best experience - sorry Uncle Serge - has been finding a Chergui-type made by CocoaPink which is so close to the original and so cheap that I danced a little jig when I discovered it. My biggest disappointment was buying an 8 ml decant of Chanel's Cuir de Russie and finding that I can hardly smelll it. It is thin and weak at opening and lasts on my skin in a bearly detectable state for no more than an hour. Sad face. :(

My best 2011 discovery was actually something I had set aside as OMG NO. The first time I tried Diptyque's L'Ombre dans le Eau, I thought the fumes would singe my nose hairs. The drydown is absolutely lovely though and I learned to love the sharp opening.

The disppointment was SL's Iris Silver Mist. It was not what I expected and of course, because it was Not Me At All, it stayed and stayed with me. Actually, I think it's beocme part of my DNA.

My best was running across a small long neglected sample of Fracas and discovering that it no longer triggers a migraine. My worst discovery was finally trying Bond No9 New York Oud (which I have liked on other people) and smelling like cat pee for 8 hours. At least the top notes were good.

My discovery was a personal one: I realized that as much as I love the concept of minimalist perfumes, I am a more traditional kind of guy. Even though virtually every other aspect of my life is minimalist, perfume is not one of them!

I'm not sure I had any real disappointments this year, except that I began to realize that some of the fragrances that I used love are beginning to feel sad and thin.... I would say that ignorance is bliss, were it not for all of the wonderful discoveries I've made!

My best scented discovery of 2011 is the Aquiste line and meeting Carlos Huber at the Sniffa Fall Ball. My worst perfume experience was probably Bottega Veneta. Everyone loved it, but I thought it was rather boring and cloyings.

Best discovery of 2011, a tie between Mona di Orio and By Kilian. Mona blew my mind with each scent I tested, Musc and Vanille standing out especially; I already knew that I loved Back to Black and Rose Oud, but the ON discovery set from Kilian demonstrated to me that the entire collection is excellent.

Biggest disappointment in 2011 was, for me, Chanel no. 19 Poudre. I couldn't believe it, because it smells pretty great on my hubby, but it was actually a scrubber for me. And I had such high hopes...

Best: Balenciaga by Balenciaga and Love in White by CreedWorst: The perfume that my co-worker wears after work (you can smell it from the end of the long hallway and she puts more than enough to give you a major headache)

Worst Perfume experience: I tried on some Crabtree and Evelyn cedar thing yesterday (possibly turned, it was in a dusty back corner of a shop-what was I thinking) and it was so horrible it was gag-inducing. Never again!

I've just started playing around seriously with perfume creation. So... my best scented discovery was blending my first chypre accord. It came as an epiphany: taking the two seemingly contradictory notes of oak moss and labdanum, which individually do not smell particularly pleasant, and combining them in just the right proportions, creates this wonderful thing that I now start to understand and recognise immediately as the basis of so many famous fragrances. I now 'get' Mitsouko, and that discovery has launched me head first into a wonderful new hobby.My worst fragrance experience this year? You know I very rarely stumble onto anything I really 'hate', but two things stood out: Paco XS (what on earth were they thinking?) and Gucci Envy, which is held in high regard by many, but to me smells like wood chips boiling in sugar syrup.

Egads, it's late. Please don't count me twice! But since I made a mistake and didn't mention "worst"... I'm hesitant to put down anyone's work, but I was disappointed with Byredo's Mr Marvelous... and I generally really love that line.

My personal favorite discovery this year: Ungaro Diva (which I sought out after reading Perfumeshrine's description of it). The worst of the year for me? I was really disappointed with Smell Bent scents.

My best fragrance discoveries of this year were Like This d'État Libre d'Orange, Chanel's Sycomore, Guerlain's Après l'Ondée and also the incensy Jozef Statkus. The worst?.. Maybe Burberry Body. And Dahlia Noir too.

I discovered Reminiscence Patchouli inoubliable elixir and it has become one of my most favourite fragances ever.This stuff lasts all day and the next and continually wafts a gorgeous sandalwood, patchouli vanilla aroma all around me, I have never had so many positive comments from a scent. I know it has been around since the seventies , I just wish I had discovered it sooner.

Wow, 2011 has been a light year on the perfumes for me...I think probably the best for me was Neil Morris' Rumi. That was the newest one...I've been making my way through that line. Discovering the By Kilian range was also interesting.

The single most exciting thing I smelled this year was Cambodi Sultan, a phenomenal Cambodi oud briefly carried by AgarAura. After that the runners up were Sonoma Scent Studio, Incense Pure and Tabac Aurea. Wonderful, extraordinary scents.

My biggest disappointment remains Caron, Le Troisieme Homme, which I just still can't like. Still too much like over-ripe bananas. Oh well, them's the breaks.

All this time i thought i love leather perfumes. However some of the discoveries in 2011 (le labo patchouli, bulgari black, and some others) smell like smoke to me. No leather at all. Therefore that'd be my worst in 2011. Thank you for the draw!

This year started for me with Absolue Pour Le Matin/M Kurkdijan developing as my perfect spring scent, continued with Portrait of a Lady (which I also discovered only in 2011) and Bosque/ H&G. and now I really enjoy Santal Blush by Tom Ford and my alltime favorite when it gets dark Psychotrope by Parfumerie Generale...

the worst... i can't even remember the name... my partner bought it for himself and i had to tell him i couldn't be around him when he was wearing it. it was just toooooooooo synthetic and fake fake flower yuck. something tuberose i don't know the house. he brought it back and they let him exchange it. kind of pushy on my part but it was awful.

the best.. oh hmm... there are many but one is Le Maroc pour elle by our generous mister Tauer and is what I'll be grabbing gracefully if I chance to win my choice.

My best scented discovery in 2011 has to be the discovery of Chanel No. 19 in edp. I had long since discarded this as a wearable fragrance for me, because of the sharp greenness in the edt. But then i tried the Poudré and liked it, and that lead me to trying the edp - this year's big love.

My best perfume discovery so far has been Memoir by Amouage and SSS Pure Incense and Winter Woods,the worst without a doubt was Womanity-even typing the name makes my cringe.Thanks so much for the chance to win and happy Xmas to all!!!

The best that happened to my nose and its connected memory in 2011 was . . . Zeta, the Linden theme. For me an extraordinary experience, much more than a perfume.As for the worst, I can't think of the names of those detergent mimicking eaux that once in a while I'm asked, what do you think of this.

2011 was very much a perfume-oriented year for me as I was on the hunt to find a perfect scent for my wedding day in September.

The best perfume without question would be Ormonde Jayne's Frangipani. It's beautifully crafted tropical floral scent will forever remind me of my wedding day. From its sparkling citrusy top notes to the watery yet creamy fruity floral scent right down to its base notes, this perfume is in my opinion a complete gem. I love it so much I also bought the bath oil. I wish I had enough money for the candle, the shower gel and the lotion! (Although I have to say, I am also currently very much in love with some of the other Ormonde Jayne fragrances such as Ta'if, Tolu and Orris Noir. Linda Pilkington really is a fantastic perfumer.)

Perhaps not the worst but definitely a disappointment was Bvlgari's Mon Jasmin Noir. Completely different from Jasmin Noir which I really enjoy, (I love the milky-licorice scent) Mon Jasmin Noir is sweet and fruity and although not terrible, unfortunately rather boring.

Best discovery of 2011; Andy Tauer's beautiful and tender Miriam. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the Tableau de Parfums scents and Brian Pera's films.Didn't have a real "worst", but most disapppointing was Bottega Veneta in that the it doesn't wear or develop at all on my skin, but on fabric that suede note finally does appear for me.Thanks to Andy for this generous draw opportunity and to you for hosting it.

Hmmm... best discovery. I am very enamoured of Prada Candy right now, but the most delicious fragrance experience this year was learning to wear Carillon pour un ange, which at first shocked and almost horrified me before all turned to adoration. The worst experience is unfortunately ongoing: colleagues of whom the perfume choices amount to no choice at all, as they wear the same terribly blah things every. single. day. How can people STAND to do that?!

The best discoveries of this year for me are Absolue pour le Soir and Bornéo 1834. I love the animalic notes of the former and bitter chocolate+earthy patchouli combo of the latter. The worst experiences would be Poison and Amarige, I've kept revisiting them, but they're just so sickly sweet and I feel repulsed and suffocated by both to the extent of being disgusted (and this rarely ever happens to me). I guess I like my tuberose greener and drier, and have high hopes for Carnal Flower and Tubéreuse Criminelle. Please do not enter me in the draw as it's prohibited to send cosmetics to my country.

My best perfume discovery would be either a) the realisation that I actually can wear (some) rose-based scents, namely By Kilian Rose Oud and Tauer Rose Vermeille, or b) Shalimar Ode a la Vanille, which proved to be my gateway to all things Shalimar

i guess my discovery for this year must be montale dark aoud and nasomatto black afgano, what delicious, amazing, subversive fragrances! the worst experience must've been sniffing (and thank god i did not apply it to my skin) 'secretions magnifique' by etat libre d'orange. oh god, i know it is an exercise in originality but some things are better left alone, one of them MUST BE the smell that you encounter in the operation theatre of a hospital.

This was my first year of really getting into perfume and there were many wonderful discoveries, most blind buys. I love Donna Karen Gold and I found Bottega Veneta delicious on paper. I find myself wearing Bvlgari Black and Omnia frequently. I adore Halston Z-14, I get compliments every time I wear it. Most disappointing, Shalimar EDP, on paper, at Ulta.

My best discovery of 2011: Andy Tauers house ;-) (Allthough that might have happened at the end of last year.) Especially Une Rose Vermeille. and L'ADDM. This year I really enjoyed Chergui (Serge Lutens), Portrait of a Lady (Frederic Malle), Lovely (Sarah Jessica Parker), Jungle Elephant (Kenzo) (Please use only one spritz of this, I am wearing it right now because I am sick and this is so strong and spicy that even I can smell it) In the summer I wore "Mandarin-Basilic" (Guerlain) and "Un Jardin sur le Nile" (Hermes) One could say that I "rediscovered perfume all together. This was a new perfume-start for me. Now perfumes I was dissapointed in: Agent Provocateur Maitresse, Guerlain Flora Nymphea, Jeux de Peau by Serge Lutens, Lady Million by Paco Rabanne.

My favorite discovery was L'Artisan Mon Numero #10. I can't get enough of this one. My grandson would tell you the worst was one of the Tom Ford's. I can't remember which one I was wearing, but we were hugging and he said, "Granma you stink! You need to change your shirt."

Best discovery was Andy Tauer's Zeta - only full bottle I have bought this year. The worst discovery was Hermes santal massoia - beautiful scent but with the lasting power of a snowflake in Hawaii! I cannot justify its purchase.

Earlier this year a friend and I went to Barneys to sniff the Frederic Malle line. It was amazing and I really loved smelling everything there, but after hours of smelling everything,I developed a perfume hangover! Sniffing Carnal Flower didn't help, either, as tuberose is a difficult note for me. The thought of smelling one more thing made me ill. I spent the rest of the evening and the next day scent free. Unfortunately, tuberose and I remain distant freinds.

Thanbks for hosting this lovely calendar today. Specifically speaking, my greatest discovery this year was La Via del Profumo's Sherif, a grandiose natural oriental. Among the biggest flops (expected) were Creed's Royal Oud and Lutens Vitrioil d'Oillet - and more generally the realization, that what these houses currently do no longer interests me. More generally, I'm always elated to find adherents of true perfumism still dedicated to perfumery as art & craft amongst the general decline of the industry. The worst discovery by far this year must have been learning of Mona di Orio's tragic premature death.

The best for me was Shalimar..I was late to the party as usual but it smells wonderful on me..so soothing and the worst by far was La Prairie Life Strands Silver..holy moly..I just wanted to rip my skin off..ick!

hmmm...best for me, Daim Blond and Ombre dans l'eau, worst Tabac Blond (and me a brunette!)there was also another high-end tobacco scent that smelled like a** but the house escapes me. it was so unpleasant i wrapped it up in several layers and then threw it away outside.

I've just rediscovered perfumes this year, so 2011's been full of fantastic discoveries. I've found a wonderful, comfortable everyday scent that makes me smile every time I smell it: Dzing!

And I also discovered Tableau de Parfum Miriam, which I've become a bit obsessed with. I thought I was a spices-woods-resins-anything-weird girl. But apparently I can still love a really good aldehydic floral.

Biggest downer? Hard to say. I try to stay focused on the good experiences. But I think I was most underwhelmed by Love, Chloe. It smelled small and simpering to me. Not horrific, just not what I want to smell like. I prefer big scents with depth and imagination.

Best discovery this year is how much I love Guerlain Samsara. Where has it been all my life?

Worst was dousing myself in a sample of Amouage Jubilation 25. I had loved the small dab of it I tried before, so thought drowning in it would be even better. It took a long time to disappear from my arms. Will have to wait a while to re-try.

My happiest discovery was that the reissued Chanel CUIR DE RUSSIE bears a recognizable relation to the old one, discontinued in 1973 or so... Mick Jagger was wearing it at that time and so was I. It was my favorite, perhaps still is.

My big disappointment was to discover that the reformulated FRACAS is no longer enough like its old self to be worth buying. The bigness is utterly gone. There is no real competitor in that category, not even CARNAL FLOWER.

May I note another cause for weeping - the death of most lovely Loulou de la Falaise Klossowski, a fragrant flower in my memory.

I have fallen in love with Dior Mitzah, so I guess it would qualify for best. Worst? Nothing comes immediately to mind, but I will say that SL Iris Silver Mist smelled like dirt on me...such a pretty name...

Thanks for hosting the draw today! (email is crumpleragATsbcglobalDOTnet if you need it)

My best scented discovery of 2011 was the perfumes of Mandy Aftel. I absolutely fell in love with Cepes et Tuberose. My worst? The fact that I can't afford to try all the perfumes that I would like to!

Best scent discovery was a vintage bottle of Piguet Bandit I stumbled across at an estate sale. Worst scent discovery was when my niece visited recently and she was swathed in a miasma of a Britney Spears' concoction. Sorry, I don't know which one and I didn't ask.

My best scented discovery are probably Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanche (that to my nose smells almost exactly like Grey Flannel, but better) and Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial - I discovered them yesterday and I want both :)The worst - all the "Chance-like" smells (or maybe it was really Chance all the time) I smelled around me all year round (i HATE Chance..) ;)

My best discovery was a tie between Tauer L'Air Du Desert Marocain and Frapin 1270, I did not expect to love L'Air Du Desert but I could not get enough of my sample, It is top of my full bottle list.My worst has got be between Serge Lutens Vitriol d'Oeillet and Tom Fords Santal Blush which just smells of curry on me, not a smell I was going for.

My best discovery was 'I Love les Carrotes' by Honoré des Prés. My biggest disappointment was 'Lola' by Marc Jacobs (it was a loving gift, but I doubt I would ever have bought it, it is so sweet and flat)

My best discovery, hands down, is Sous le Vent! When I first tried this Guerlain, for whatever reason, it did not resonate. It took three showings before I really understood its classic structure and rustic beauty. (I hope Santa remembers!)

The best was probably Arsene Lupin Dandy, which I got early in the year as a present from my mother.

The worst were two perfumes that we were supposed to like... Margiela Untitled smelled like old cigarettes, like the smell I used to come home with after spending the day in class with people smoking. (Yes, Virginia, that did use to happen...) And Mon Parfum Cherie from Annick Goutal started out fine, but eventually my wife had to scrub it off, so nauseating did she find it.

Best is hard becasue I am a bit easy, so many are tempting. Worst-some smaple given out when the artist who created gave a talk in SF. I won't say what/who, don't want to be rude when they were generous.

I had several amazing discoveries for this year, one of which included Miriam, but I don't consider that much of a discovery since I love Tauer perfumes and was excited by that release anyway. Regardless, it's a fantastic new release for this year. I did "discover" Guerlain's Derby this year, though, which caught me completely by surprise. I enjoy the new version as much if not more than the vintage, which may be blasphemy in some circles. Another discovery was Profumo.it, which has knocked me head over heals. I really enjoy the approach that that house is taking.

However, I have also had some disappointments, most notably Tauer's Pentachords. This is my biggest disappointment because up until these were released I was a tried and true Tauer fan and loved everything Andy makes, but as artistic as the Pentachord series is, I just cannot wear them, I do not enjoy them. Sorry, Andy!

Hmm best off the top of my head is Mona di Orio Oud. Worst would just be some mainstream releases in general including Love, Chloe and Fan di Fendi for just being uninspired and too fresh/clean smelling. But I do like Prada Candy!

The best fragrance discovery of 2011 for me was perfume blogs, and it opened up a whole new world to me. I always liked fragrance, and my late husband bought me fragrance as gifts (mostly Chanel). I worked at a Lancome in the 80's, so I was familiar with some of these fragrances, and most main stream at that time that were sold in Macy's. I am still a Chanel girl, and my boyfriend bought me Chanel #19 Poudre, which I like a lot, but does not seem to last and I must reapply. Love Eau Premier. I received a sample of Miriam and liked that very much.The worst fragrance experience was at Lush...I just did not like those fragrances, even thought I tried to, and even scrubbing off, they stuck like glue to me, which is strange, because fragrance usually disappears on me fast.

My worst experience was trying Chanel No 19 poudre and after five minutes of pleasant blandness it became nothing-ness....My best discovery has to be trying Etro's "Messe de Minuit" on a very hot summers' day and instead of developing a headache due to the intense incense it became a deep, sultry and very sexy experience - I bought the bottle and it stil works best on hot days.

My best perfume discovery of the year was Incense Rose, may be I will get lucky this time;). My worst was Blood Concept AB: well made scent, but so disturbing and repellent, I can't imagine anyone wearing it.

The best frag of the year is Zeta by Andy Tauer. I thought I hate neroli as a note but this scent makes me feel like a little girl in the blooming garden. The scent of sun :)And also I discovered Mona di Orio's line, it's the Art. She do something special in perfume industry. How sad it sounds now :(

The biggest disappointment was all perfumes of Boadicea. Totally devoid of ideology and impudent in pricing.

I think the best of 2011 is my rediscovery and appreciation for Mona di Orio. I tried the line five years ago and none really fit my style. However, at the present time, I hold many in her classic line as great works.My biggest disappointment is in the form of a scented-lipstick. Bought an expensive Edward Bess l/s, but never wore it because I couldn't stand the fig scent.

ONeof my new favorites for this year was definitely Tauer's own Zeta, which makes me smile each & every time I sniff it

Maybe my biggest disappointment is something not released this year, but that I discovered this year - Norma Kamali Incense. And the disappointment isn't that it's not good, because it's truly wonderful - it's that it's so hard to find!

I've been disenchanted with perfume for a couple of years.... gave up looking for new things.. partly because I found that I couldn't trust my own nose! I'd buy stuff and soon after not like it anymore. My enduring favorites are Andy's - L'Air and Orris. But, there's a few of his that I haven't tried -the newer ones. I think my best fragrant discovery was when I recently opened my wooden little chest of samples and the combined perfume blossomed out into the air! Fantastic! No worst one, other than smelling pretty much anything in dept stores and Sephora. I seem to be looking for something that I cannot find. I would like to try Andy's Carillon! rachel h

New to the world of niche lines my year's discoveries are too many to list. Worst:Secretations Magniefique- on me all I get are milk and copper notes. I gave it to a male friend who wears it much better than I. And Habanita-all I get it powder.Best: SL MKK, Robert Piquets Bandit (I could wear daily) and Fracas (only for specific moods)

My best experience is that I could buy a bottle of YSL Opium, not the reformulated one. I knew the new version, and I found it OK, but something was wrong with it, and after reading reviews about the old one I dared to buy one from the early '90-s and I really think it's the best thing I ever smelled.And the worst was Cacharel's Scarlett. Oh, no! As a friend described: it's like pickles in artificial sugar.

First of all, let me thank Andy and Elena for hosting this giveaway. I love the format of Andy's Advent calendar. This is the second year I participate, and last year I kept clicking on each day and discover not only bits and pieces of Andy's days, but also the new perfume blogs. I started reading them all since last year and found out a lot of new and interesting perfume experts!

Elena, your blog I am particularly grateful for. I love the way you write about perfume. I read not only the current articles but some of the older ones as well and dream of reading everything one day!

The 2011 was full of great discoveries. It would be hard for me to day which ones were the best. I have discovered the perfumes from the house of Guerlain I don't ever want to be without (Chant d'Arome, Vol de Nuit). I have fallen hard for two scents marketed for men (Blenheim Bouquet and 1740). I discovered beautiful linden in Andy Tauer's Zeta.

The worst perfume experience for me was getting so many samples that I stopped wearing my FBs. I have slowed down and started giving love to my full bottles. I trust I can still sample new things and wear what I know and love. And I would love to add a Tauer bottle to my collection! What a chance!

My best fragrant "discovery" this year was Teo Cabanel Alahine. Such golden autumnal beauty! My least favorite was Crown Heliotrope. I won't say worst, because it's not bad at all, but it didn't quite live up to my hefty heliotrope-laden expectations. Thanks so much for the draw!

Thanks for this draw,this would be the perfect gift for my birthday today,fingers crossed!I had a lot of great discoveries in 2011.It was mostly all about oud and rose combo but I find Mona di Orio Oud to be one of the best scents of the yaer.I also found Zeta and I was realy amazed,extraordinairy creation.About the worst may be a lot of bad designer scents have came of this year but i haven't payed attention to the most of them.

Elena Vosnaki has been the Perfume History Curatorof the Be Open Foundation exhibitionThe Garden of Wonders, A Journey in Scents in Milan EXPO, as well as a guest lecturer at the Athens School of Fine Arts. She was Fragrance Expert onAbout.com. Her writing has been twice shortlisted in FIFI Editorial Excellence Awards and is extensively quoted by authors. She is an evaluating expert on Osmoz.com. Interviews regarding Vosnaki's unique status as perfume historian & writer appear in VOGUE Hellas, ICON Magazine and Queen.gr